Are GPs useless?

[Scuzi]

I have looked on websites, yeah - but that's after months of getting no proper answers from the doctor/s. I've had this "condition" or whatever for 18-24 months now and it's progressively getting worse. To be fair, i have had a few tests (a basic chest x-ray and sputum) and nothing was found so it's basically them thinking i'm psychosomatic now despite me proving an array of symptoms to them. 'Cause i'm a young lad that's not had any health problems before they don't consider it anything to worry about.

Go to a different doctor. Describe your symptoms precisely, give a general gist of what you might think it is and ask for a referral. IF you can provide a point of referral it's even better.

Some doctors are useless. I heard on a Radio call-in show about a year ago, multiple accounts of GPs not taking young people seriously. Some of them had cancer, heart defects, arthritis and other serious illnesses and it often took them multiple visits and multiple doctors before they were taken seriously.

I'm lucky enough that I haven't had that problem but if I was in your shoes I'd change doctor.

 

[Cosimo]

Mine good but occasionally I do have to point him in the right direction.

 

[realBabelfish]

I'm certainly of that belief. I've been ill for absolutely ages, like proper life altering ill. Seen like 4 or 5 different GPs dozens of times and it seems like i could go in with a broken ankle and they'd prescribe me anti-depression tablets, and i hear the same off of a lot of people.

A mate with a stomach bug went in and got prescribed SSRIs. Whenever you explain symptoms and they don't have an answer, the majority will use google directly in front of you, all the whilst telling you not to look up stuff on the net.

And then, if by some miracle they end up sending you to a specialist, it takes a ridiculous amount of time. I know that's mainly down to specialists perhaps being busy and there's always going to be waiting lists, but if the GP didn't feed you a load of rubbish for months you'd have had some sort of diagnosis by now.

Go on, insult me for my ignorance guys.

i had foot troubles a couple of years ago. basically it felt like i was treading on glass when i put down my right foot. so i had to stop sport.

2 years of seeing drs (various) and x-rays and tablets etc i finally referred myself to a podiatrist. she was amazed and whipped out a scalpel, cut off the offending area. apparently it was a corn! she couldnt believe several drs didnt know what it was and had even given me tablets!!

my father who has parkinsons was told that he was just putting it on and it might only be tennis elbow.

auntie caught mrsi in hopsital and died.

midwifes forged documents when dealing with my son that almost made my wife's pre-eclampsia go unnoticed (my mother in law is a midwife and took her to hospital, she was around 48 hours from possibly death and my son would have almost certainly died)

we dont have a great history with the NHS and GPs

 

[drunkenmaster]

GP's are inherantly useless, these are doctors that see a very narrow set of symptoms incredibly often and see rare problems very infrequently and they usually can't diagnose them themselves. IE they refer someone for a variety of problems and a specialist diagnoses them. When a doctor works in a GP and sees thousands of patients a year and 98% of them have a cold, then the first thing a GP's mind see's when you say something that bears any similarity to a cold or flu and they automatically think you have nothing really wrong with you.

It's natural, you see something constantly you jump to conclusions. Biggest problem with GP's is sending them to school for 7 years, learning how to take out an appendix, put in chest tubes, diagnose lots of things then stick them in an office for 40 years using NONE of that knowledge, is its a joke. GP's are basically anything from 5 to 40 years out of practice of doing real diagnosing.

The system as it is now is laughably poor, huge resources poured into gp's when they really should be on 30k a year, doing basic assessments with 1/4 of the training and more money for real doctors in hospitals to diagnose more difficult cases.

Anyway, I've had absolutely incompetant treatment, multiple times for YEARS on NHS, and the first private doctor I went to was absolutely useless as well, the second private guy I say(who also works in the NHS) found a severe problem within minutes of seeing me that the NHS and first private doctor missed for 2 years, which has somewhat ruined my entire life. I think I saw around 8 GP's, and one private knee specialist who all completely missed something ridiculously obvious.

As for knowing about your symptoms and directing your doctor, that can work, some doctors are willing many if not most treat you badly if you do this, assuming you're faking/looking for attention/depressed. LIkewise not everyone has a simple case, many people have multiple things wrong with them, where you are looking for experienced medical help and its just not forthcoming.

Aside from knee problems, I suffered from migraines all my life but for about 5 years every single GP I went to and two specialists all deemed me faking and simply didn't like school, one a-hole doctor decides there can't be anything wrong with you, puts it in a file and everyone else see's it and automatically assumes the same. I had horrific headaches for years, finally saw a specialist and the first question after she saw the file was "so how's school", because I missed a lot of school due to headaches. There are kids that bunk off school, I was basically top of the class, had no issue, liked school, had no issues with the school accusing me of bunking off but one doctor suggests it and you're tarred with it, I got no help and suffered for years. They finally went away mid teens as apparently they often do, only to come back significantly worse in my late twenties. They are MUCH more helpful to me in my twenties than when I was 10, purely because of my age, NOT my symptoms. Gp's from my experience are almost entirely useless.

 

[powlesY]

So still a kid then. I'm not putting words in your mouth rather pointing out you seem to think you know better than a well trained professional. You may well get one bad GP. I've seen plenty, I have more experience with that profession than you have had hot dinners.

However if you had seen plenty then at least one would spot something is amiss. Therefore I think we have, like stated, a severe cae of hyperbole.

Oh i see, you're ironically being childish by trying to patronise me because i'm 23? Nice one. I reiterate, i never implied to know more than GPs and this is clearly a rant topic. You criticise me for over-exaggeration and at the same time go and point out things you may know more than me and try to belittle me with it?

I've been far too vague for you to know what i've gone through, so please mate, get off that elitist high-horse.

 

[Jolteh]

Hahaha, I love it on this forum when the topic gets onto health and doctors.

A couple of IT qualifications and access to the internet makes people an expert on everything doesn't it? Not to mention the infallible proof that is anecdotal evidence!

 

[FARGO]

From my experience mine have been adequate - however, I usually have to ask lots of questions about what is being prescribed and why.

My main issue are the front of house staff which run the receptions. I know they are most likely stressed and surrounded by the sick but I can't help but feel that I am treated so bluntly by them that I am often offended by their lack of manners.

 

[Shayper]

i had foot troubles a couple of years ago. basically it felt like i was treading on glass when i put down my right foot. so i had to stop sport.

2 years of seeing drs (various) and x-rays and tablets etc i finally referred myself to a podiatrist. she was amazed and whipped out a scalpel, cut off the offending area. apparently it was a corn! she couldnt believe several drs didnt know what it was and had even given me tablets!!

my father who has parkinsons was told that he was just putting it on and it might only be tennis elbow.

auntie caught mrsi in hopsital and died.

midwifes forged documents when dealing with my son that almost made my wife's pre-eclampsia go unnoticed (my mother in law is a midwife and took her to hospital, she was around 48 hours from possibly death and my son would have almost certainly died)

we dont have a great history with the NHS and GPs

That's actually horrific

 

[powlesY]

GP's are inherantly useless, these are doctors that see a very narrow set of symptoms incredibly often and see rare problems very infrequently and they usually can't diagnose them themselves. IE they refer someone for a variety of problems and a specialist diagnoses them. When a doctor works in a GP and sees thousands of patients a year and 98% of them have a cold, then the first thing a GP's mind see's when you say something that bears any similarity to a cold or flu and they automatically think you have nothing really wrong with you.

It's natural, you see something constantly you jump to conclusions. Biggest problem with GP's is sending them to school for 7 years, learning how to take out an appendix, put in chest tubes, diagnose lots of things then stick them in an office for 40 years using NONE of that knowledge, is its a joke. GP's are basically anything from 5 to 40 years out of practice of doing real diagnosing.

The system as it is now is laughably poor, huge resources poured into gp's when they really should be on 30k a year, doing basic assessments with 1/4 of the training and more money for real doctors in hospitals to diagnose more difficult cases.

Anyway, I've had absolutely incompetant treatment, multiple times for YEARS on NHS, and the first private doctor I went to was absolutely useless as well, the second private guy I say(who also works in the NHS) found a severe problem within minutes of seeing me that the NHS and first private doctor missed for 2 years, which has somewhat ruined my entire life.

Amen. And sorry to hear that. I feel like i'm going through the same story, obviously missing out the last bit of an actual diagnosis.

 

[arknor]

I Whenever you explain symptoms and they don't have an answer, the majority will use google directly in front of you, all the whilst telling you not to look up stuff on the net.

yup ive mentioned that a few times on here before, usually the monitor is facing away from you but you can clearly see the google logo in their glasses

 

[drunkenmaster]

Amen. And sorry to hear that. I feel like i'm going through the same story, obviously missing out the last bit of an actual diagnosis.

hehe, unfortunately the knee problem was diagnosed, fixed(ish, it was allowed to do a lot of damage and cause a lot of pain before being found finally so I know get to live with constant pain in both knee joints), but I've got a whole bunch of other problems they've failed to remotely come close to dealing with.

This country desparately needs one of two things, doctors who work 4 days a week in hospitals and one day a week in GP practices, thereby giving us up to date, experienced, capable doctors to speak to who don't see 5000 colds and 3 real problems a year. Or GP's simply all but abolished, train up a bunch of people at 20-30k a year to basically do the **** work GP's do, basic training to basically differentiate between a cold and something more serious and pass everyone on to specialists, then invest all the saved money into real doctors who actually diagnose and treat patients. GP's are by and large not using 90% of the stuff they learn while being doctors. They do not need to know medical level chemistry, how to put in chest tubes, they sit in an office and refer people 95% of the time. 100k a week, 7 years expensive training, its absolutely insane. Doctors are a massive commodity and we throw away 95% of their use by sticking them in GP offices, then pay them a ridiculous wage.

Having had not a great experience with private doctors as well as NHS, and having next to no money I'm not really happy about the idea of paying to get the same poor result. Had a terrible dentists as well, I know there are great doctors, dentists, even GP's out there, but there are so many bad ones and how the hell you get a good one I don't know. I've been recommended a great GP by a friend, but said friend had a minor easy to solve option and thought the GP was great, after seeing this GP I spoke to other people who said he was ****. Its complete luck getting a good or bad doctor, and even then you can get a good or bad specialist, the varying quality of doctors in this country is shambolic, with no method with which to realistically complain. The last specialist I saw for sent my GP what she described as the single most unprofessional letter she'd seen, sent describe the problem. He also wouldn't actually treat the problem claiming it wasn't acute, even though the GP and anyone else can see its a huge problem, she basically apologised for this idiot and has referred me to another guy to get basically the same testing done and hopefully some actual treatment.

 

[xxalxx]

I never had a problem with the gp's in the uk. Not had to see a GP here yet though the wallet is ready for when I have to.

 

[powlesY]

hehe, unfortunately the knee problem was diagnosed, fixed(ish, it was allowed to do a lot of damage and cause a lot of pain before being found finally so I know get to live with constant pain in both knee joints), but I've got a whole bunch of other problems they've failed to remotely come close to dealing with.

Are you still trying to get to the bottom of them?

I get chest pain, heart palputations and i've always got a brain fog headache where nothing feels real and like a throbbing light-headedness feeling.

My salivia is often thick, creamy and brown, as is my tongue and there's always a overall very horrible atmosphere and taste in my mouth. It's destroyed my teeth despite when first complaining about the symptoms 18months ago my teeth were great. Of course, the sputum test didn't come back with anything so i'm completely fine.

 

[Jolteh]

yup ive mentioned that a few times on here before, usually the monitor is facing away from you but you can clearly see the google logo in their glasses

Wow, and you say they do it right in front of you!? That's shocking!

Have you considered selling your story to a newspaper? I'm sure that people would be astounded to hear that a doctor has been using IT to augment their knowledge base. They'd most certainly be struck off!!!

 

[Shayper]

Are you still trying to get to the bottom of them?

I get chest pain, heart palputations and i've always got a brain fog headache where nothing feels real and like a throbbing light-headedness feeling.

My salivia is often thick, creamy and brown, as is my tongue and there's always a overall very horrible atmosphere and taste in my mouth. It's destroyed my teeth despite when first complaining about the symptoms 18months ago my teeth were great. Of course, the sputum test didn't come back with anything so i'm completely fine.

Dude. Go to a hospital!

 

[grimm]

My GP is useless.

In fact whenever I go it's always a random doctor (very rarely the same one anyway), and they invariably tell me that I just need to rest and take paracetamol/ibuprofen/both.

I can't really see the point in going anymore.

Having said that, the GP that I was signed up with when I was at uni was very good, so who knows, maybe it's just random?

 

[Hostile-17]

Oh i see, you're ironically being childish by trying to patronise me because i'm 23? Nice one. I reiterate, i never implied to know more than GPs and this is clearly a rant topic. You criticise me for over-exaggeration and at the same time go and point out things you may know more than me and try to belittle me with it?

I've been far too vague for you to know what i've gone through, so please mate, get off that elitist high-horse.

You did post in an open forum. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, you may or may not agree with!

 

[powlesY]

You did post in an open forum. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, you may or may not agree with!

I'm fully aware of that.

 

[arknor]

Wow, and you say they do it right in front of you!? That's shocking!

Have you considered selling your story to a newspaper? I'm sure that people would be astounded to hear that a doctor has been using IT to augment their knowledge base. They'd most certainly be struck off!!!

to be fair it was regarding a subject that needs a specialist of which they are very few who deal with adults and my GP did have to put a lot of effort into getting me seen by the right person

 

[Hostile-17]

Are you still trying to get to the bottom of them?

I get chest pain, heart palputations and i've always got a brain fog headache where nothing feels real and like a throbbing light-headedness feeling.

My salivia is often thick, creamy and brown, as is my tongue and there's always a overall very horrible atmosphere and taste in my mouth. It's destroyed my teeth despite when first complaining about the symptoms 18months ago my teeth were great. Of course, the sputum test didn't come back with anything so i'm completely fine.

Hospital, go to!